HERRIMAN, Utah (Tuesday, October 10, 2023) – Four Real Salt Lake players have been selected by their home nations to represent internationally during the imminent FIFA window, as Kevon Lambert (Jamaica), Braian Ojeda (Paraguay), Rubio Rubin (Guatemala) and Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela) have each been called into duty. Each player will miss Saturday’s RSL at LA Galaxy match, rescheduled from August 20 due to Hurricane Hilary, but are expected to return to the Club in advance of RSL’s trip to Colorado on “Decision Day” weekend Oct. 21.
- Lambert’s recall to represent Jamaica arrives on the heels of both his September call-up and an outstanding Gold Cup for the Reggae Boyz, with this selection his second as a member of Real Salt Lake, for which he made his MLS debut on August 26. Lambert boasts 24 appearances for Jamaica’s senior team.
- The 23-year-old Ojeda hopes to contribute during a new era for Paraguay, which has made a managerial switch since the September window. The two-way RSL midfielder has made eight appearances in the last two years for Paraguay, on the heels of 16 appearances for various Albirroja youth national teams. Four of Ojeda’s eight Paraguayan caps came in the most recent CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying cycle.
- Rubin boasts five goals in 15 matches since his debut with Guatemala in May, 2022, including two goals in three games played in the most recent Gold Cup for Los Chapines. Rubin, 27, appeared in seven games for the U.S. National Team, but employed his one-time switch to represent his mother’s birth country.
- Savarino is Real Salt Lake’s leading overall goalscorer thus far in 2023, scoring 10 times in all competitions and leading RSL for its league-specific Golden Boot with seven goals. The 26-year-old Venezuelan has appeared in 34 senior team matches for Los Vinotintos, scoring twice.
Headlining the fixture list for the RSL quartet are a pair of South American World Cup Qualifiers on Thursday, with mid-table occupants Venezuela and Paraguay facing off against the top two CONMEBOL world powers, Brazil and Argentina. Ojeda’s Paraguayan squad travels to Buenos Aires to face the reigning World Cup champion Argentina at 5:00p MT. Just 90 minutes later, Savarino’s Venezuelan team travels to Brazil for a 6:30p MT kickoff.
Later on Thursday, Lambert’s Jamaican team – currently tied for first place with four points in the Group 2 “A” table with Cuba – will be on the road for both of its CONCACAF Nations League matches in this window, traveling to face Grenada on Thursday at 5:00p MT before heading to Trinidad to face Haiti on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 6:00p MT.
This Friday, Rubin’s Guatemala side – currently on the outside looking in due to tiebreakers in CONCACAF Nations League Group 1 “A” – travels to Trinidad to face that nation’s side at 7:00p MT, before heading to Panama on Tuesday, Oct. 17 for another 7:00p MT kickoff.
Also next Tuesday, Oct. 17, Venezuela hosts Chile at 3:00p MT, while Paraguay returns home to host Bolivia at 4:30p MT.
